Bobbin handling arrangement



March 1965 c. A. WETHINGTON 3,

BOBBIN HANDLING ARRANGEMENT Filed Oct. 6, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

CHARLES A.WETH|NGTON March 16, 1965 c. A. WETHINGTON 3,173,543

BOBBINHANDLING ARRANGEMENT Filed 001,. 6, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

CHARLES A. WETHINGTON March 16, 1965 c. A. WETHINGTON 3,173,543

BOBBIN HANDLING ARRANGEMENT Filed Oct. 6, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG. "7-

INVENTOR. CHARLES A.WETH|NGTON United States Patent 3,173,543 BOBBIN HANDLING ARRANGEMENT Charles A. Wethington, Spartanburg, S.C., assignor to Deering Milliken Research Corporation, Spartanburg, S.C., a corporation of Delaware Filed Oct. 6, 1961, Ser. No. 143,421 7 Claims. (Cl. 20985) This invention relates to a transfer arrangement, and more particularly to a bobbin handling arrangement for transferring bobbins, quills, or the like from a common supply means to a plurality of user stations.

In recent years there have been several proposals for automating the dofiing and donning of textile processing machines, such as spinning frames. In order to more fully automate such doffing and donning, it is desirable to have a mechanized bobbin transfer arrangement for transferr-ing bobbins from a central source to a plurality of user stations, such as loading stations for loading the supply bobbins onto the dofiing and donning apparatus. It is an object of this invention to provide an improved and simplified bobbin transfer arrangement which is particularly adapted for supplying bobbins to a plurality of user stations which may be disposed at mechanical dofier loading stations for mechanized loading of automatic or semiautomatic doffing and donning apparatus.

A further feature of the invention is the provision of a bobbin transfer arrangement which includes simple and efiicient means for removing defective bobbins, and more particularly bobbins which are of shorter length than is desired at the user stat-ions.

Still other objects, features and attendant advantages will become apparent to those skilled in the art from a reading of the following detailed description of one preferred embodiment of the invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a schematic illustration in perspective of one physical embodiment constructed according to the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a schematic line drawing in side elevation of the arrangement of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary view of one portion of the adjustable guide and support frame arrangement for the pocketed conveyor portion of the arrangement.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary view in partial section illustrating in more detail the bobbin discharge station gate construction and operation.

FIGURE 5 is a bottom view of the bobbin discharge station, omitting the bobbin discharge gate therefor for purposes of clarity of illustration.

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary schematic illustration is perspective as viewed from the bottom and side of the defective bobbin removal arrangement in the bobbin transfer arrangement in FIGURES 1 and 2.

FIGURE 7 is a bottom view of the defective bobbin removal arrangement of FIGURE 6.

Referring now in detail to the figures of the drawings, bobbins, quills, or the like, B, are delivered from a common supply source, such as a hopper or bin 11 as by a shaker 15 extending through a door 13 formed in a side wall of the bin, the bobbins or quills being delivered toa first narrow width (approximately two to four or so bobbin diameters) conveyor in the form of a continuous belt 17, from which they proceed longitudinally to a second transversely extending wider width conveyor 19 (slightly greater in width than the length of the bobbins to be conveyed), which may also be in the form of a continuous belt. Belt conveyors 17 and 19 may be suitably driven through the medium of a drive motor 23 and suitable intermediate mechanical connections, such as gearing, pulleys and drive belts, generally indicated at 25 and 27.

ice I The bobbins are delivered from the belt 19, which is downwardly and forwardly inclined, onto a pocketed conveyor 21, in the form of a continuous belt having slats 21f fixed at spaced intervals transversely across its surface along the entire length thereof, to form pockets 21g of suitable width and depth to receive a single bobbin B in each pocket. The bobbins are loaded onto the conveyor 21 along a first upwardly inclined run 21a thereof, and are then transported along this run 21a, through a second horizontal run 21b and then along a reverse horizontal run 210, past a plurality of user stations 59. Such bobbins as are not discharged at or prior to reaching the user stations are returned along a return run 21d and continue again in the same path to and past the loading zone adjacent transverse belt conveyor 19 and thence again to the user station positions 59.

In order to provide bobbins at the user stations 59 in a suitable and desired oriented manner, that is with their head and base ends all extending respectively in the same directions and in essentially parallel relation, it is desirable to provide a bobbin reorienting device for removing and reorienting any bobbins which are delivered onto the pocketed conveyor 21 with their head or base ends extending in the wrong direction. This may be effected through the medium of a compressed air jet nozzle, generally indicated and shown schematically at 20 in FIGURE 1, adjacent the run 21a of the conveyor 21 and with its discharge orifice disposed so as to catch the large diameter base ends of the bobbins passing thereadjacent, but to miss the smaller diameter head of the bobbins, whereby bobbins having their large base ends extending toward the side on which the nozzle 20 is mounted will be kicked off the run 21a by the stream of air proceeding from air nozzle 20 and reversed in midair and subsequently fall onto conveyor 17 in reversed form. From the conveyor 17 the bobbins are then retransported in longitudinally extending relation to the conveyor 19 and delivered to the run 21a in properly transversely oriented manner. This general bobbin conveying and reorienting arrangement 11-20 is only schematically and generally illustrated herein, such having been previously disclosed and described in detail in the prior copending application of Robert M. Ingham, Ir., Serial Number 767,012, now Patent No. 3,031,059, to which reference may be made for further details of construction and operation.

The pocketed conveyor 21 is suitably supported as by guide rolls 31, 33 and 35, carried as by a frame generally indicated at 55, the rolls 33 and 35 being idler rolls, and roll 31 being a drive roll which may be suitably driven as by a drive motor 29 and mechanical connection 30. In operation, each of motors 23 and 29 may run continuously.

The pocketed conveyor 21 is further guided along its runs 216 and 21d through the medium of a bobbin and belt guiding and supporting apron 37 which is preferably driven solely by contact thereof with the conveyor 21 and such bobbins as are remaining thereon during the passage of the conveyor 21 in contact with the apron 37. Apron 37 is guided through the medium of a plurality of guide rolls 39-53 suitably mounted as on support frame 55, there being preferably provided three guide rolls 41, 43 and 45 in the zone of external bend of conveyor belt 21 at the intersection or runs 210 and 21d. The apron 37 may be maintained under a desired substantially taut condition, as through the medium of idler rolls 51 and 53, with one or both of these rolls being resiliently biased away from the other as through the medium of a tension spring (not shown).

Apron 37 serves the dual functions of smooth guiding and supporting of the conveyor 21 and such bobbins as are contained thereon along the latter part of the run 210 and"the majorpart of run-21d as well as the zone of externalbend of-theconveyor 21' at the intersection of the two runs 21c and 21b, and of aiding in maintaining the conveyor 21 in clean condition. This cleaning function is achieved through the slightly diife'rential speed at which the idler apron is driven by its frictional'contact with the conveyor 21, such being effected as a result of frictional drag on the apron 37 and'idler rolls 39-53 at the various support points therefon The'apron' 37 thus provides a unique and simple solution for the problem of efliectmg an external bend in thepocketed conveyor, without catching the slats 21 on the guide in the zone of external'bend, while along aiding in maintaining the cleanliness of the conveyor 21 Conveyor-21 is further guided along'the' curved con- 'necting'portion between runs 21b and'21c and further along run 210 through the medium of a guide and support plate arrangement 55b, 550 which forms a part of the overall guide and support frame 55-for the pocketed 'conveyor 21. This guide-plate arrangement takes the form of a curved end guide plate 55]) and a'longitudinally extending horizontally disposed straight guide 'plate 55c for the lower discharge run 210, as shown more particularly in FIGURES 1 and 3. Referring now to FIGURES 1-3, the entire pocketed conveyor 21 isenclosed on opposite lateral sides thereof by opposite side Walls=55a ofsupport 'frame 55 whichserve-to prevent undesired ,falling' off of if 'the bobbins from the lateral sides of the conveyor 21.

The-support frame 55 also includes in the Zone of guide plates 55b and 55c a bottom-support wall in the form of inverted U-channel member 55d to which is secured to straight guide plate 550, 'as by screws 55 which are threadedly'received in butld o notextend above the upper guide surface of the bottom guide plate 55c (see FIGURE 4). "In; order'to provide for adjustment of the guide roll 31 to ta'lre up any slack resulting from stretching of the belt conveyor 21, as after extended use thereof, the motor 29 and shaft 31' as well as drive roll,31-',a're disposed for sliding movement substantially horizontally and the end guide, plate 55b is 'likewi'se horizontally slidably adjustable. T o this end, the guide plate 55b includes ai bjottorn tongue 55b, which i s adjus'tably secured to'the channel member 55a, as through the medium' of threaded studs f55bs welded or soldered onto theitQngue SSb jandiwing nuts 55d, the nuts E'Sbn 'being' disposed beneath the ua'channel 55d 'andthestud SSbs extending through longitudinal adjustment slots 55d formed in the"U- channel member 55d. The guide plate 550 includes two side. extensions 550" which "extend beside the tongueS S b', overlapping of these two guideplatesSSb and 55c.thus

the V opening 61a cut in the bottom of each of guide plates 55c and U-channel 554, This opening 61a is of suchwidth as to" permit the, falling by 'gravity of bobbins which are shorter than a selected standard length, while permitting the supported passage thereby of bobbins oftheiselected length, Inorder to assurethat theb obbins,are'properly aligned as tliey pass over the ,opening=,61a, so that any laterally displaced standard size bobbins will not fall 'through'the 'openingbla, there is provided a lateral cam guide 69 adjacent, one, lateral wall 55a with its beginning point in advance of the opening 61a. It is desirable that this'cam guide 69 be disposed on the'side of the conveyor 'at which the base ends of'the bobbins are disposed, it having been found that the smaller ends of short bobbins more easily fall through'the opening'ln than the larger ends of the bobbins. The camguide'. 6 9 has itsmain lateral edge spaced from the adjacent side of the-opening 61a, and is spaced a distance frorn'the oppositeside wall SSasuch that there is only a. small clearance between the opposite side wall fand a bobbin of standard length passing therebetween. This, standard length bobbins are conveyed bythe slats -21 on the conveyor 21 past theopening llzz whilefthose bobbins whichTare shorter than standard size will drop through 'the extended opening 614, which preferably covers a distance of several bobbins pocketwidths 21g in order to allow ample'tir'n'e for falling of short bobbinstherethroughpasshown more clearly in' FIGURES 6 and 7. IIIIFIGURE 7 short bobbins BS are illustrated as disposed with at leastaone'end hanging free in "such'rnanner as to permit falling thereof through, the opening 61a as'shownin FIGURE 6. As shown in FIG- UREA, the :sl ats 21f donot extendall the wayacross the I "width of conveyor 21 to the side' wall'59a but: preferably have an open space atgeach lateral end thereof adjacent therespective side w'all5 9a, and thereby are free to pass beside the cam guide'69 without interference Any desired number 'of'bobbin dischargeuser stations 59 maybe disposed beneaththe run 210 of the conveyor 21, dependent, of course, upon the supply rate of the'belt conveyor system; and the user'rateof thestations 5 9. In

providing a substantially continuous guidesurface 5 5b,

c for conveyor 21 in' the 'adjustment'zone. 1

It will be noted that all of the connections for se'curing the guide plates 55b and55c to'the support channel member 55b extend through the channel member 55d and into theplates'55b and 550, with only 'flus'h or recessed com nections therebetween on the upper surface of themembers 55b and 55c, as for instance/studs 551 s andiscrews 55f. Thisflassures that thevconveyror 2 11 andits surface slats 21 will be slidably guided without-hanging upon any surface protrusionsformed on the guide'surfa'ces of members 55b and 550. Further, in order to assure that the intersection between the curved end'ghide plate55b and the straight horizontal plate 55c does not cause hanging up of the. slats or bobbins which may ride therepast,

the opposing end faces of the tongue 55b and the'cut out portion of the guide plate 55care beveled, to permit sliding of bobbins therefrom and thereonto without hanging up. This beveling is particularly advantageous in'the event that short bobbins should ride through this area.

A further curved guide plate 56, suitably secured to and forming a part of the support frame 55, servesto thelillustrated embodiment there 'arethreeuser stations 59 shown, 'andin"F IGURE'4"such a userdischar'ge station 59 is shown jin"morejd etail. Each user discharge'stati'on includes an openingSQafQrm'ed in the'guideplat'e 550 and U-c ha'nnel member "55d, 'thisiopning "59:: extending "across the width of members ssband 55c'fand being selec tively closed and opened by a' gate generally indicate'dat d3. Gate' 63' may be fswingably' mounted as by securing 'on a pivotshaft 63b:v supported in a'piv'ot' mounting 63b which may be secured to'the support frame-'55. -Wher1 the gate '63fis 'indown or openjposition the bobbins B fall.through the opening 59 a into a suitable receptacle, as into or through'a chute 65, which may have front and rear walls 65a, "65b and sidewalls 650 for guiding the bobbins received thereby toa suitable side-by-side aligned transversely extending use; position.

Since thebobbins B are pushed 'alongwith' their trailing surface substantially flat againstlthe respective pushing 'slat 21], it will be apparent that the center line of the bobbin B atthe largerend wouldtnormally reach the leading edge of the hole 59 before thesmalle'r diameter end of the bobbin B, and-because of this, it is desirable to the two ends of the bobbin guide and support the bobbins alongthe curved connecting portion of conveyor 21 between'runs'zld mean,

In order to remove defective bobbins 'innthej form of add an extension59bto-the leading edgeof the gate opening 59a to elfectively delay the time at which the large end of'lthe bobbin hasits center 'line'pass over the effective leading-edge formed by the extension 5%, and thus substantially synchronize the time at-which thecenter line of e v reach the effective leading edge of the opening 5%.; The thickness of thelextension 5% should be'approxirnately equal to one-half of the difference, between the diameters of the bobbin atits large.

and small end. It will be noted that the effect of adding this extension 5912 is to further reduce the clearance between the large end of the bobbin and the opposite or trailing edge of the opening 59a. In order to provide substantially the same clearance between the bobbin and the effective leading and trailing edges of the opening 5% at both the large and small end sides of the opening it is desirable to add a further extension 590 on the trailing edge of the opening 59a. This extension 59c should be approximately one and one-half times the difference between the large and small diameter ends of the bobbin. While it is possible to provide a suitable opening with the extensions 5% and 590 as illustrated in FIGURE 5, it will be apparent that this opening 5901 might also be formed with the same eflect by tapering the leading and trailing edges from the respective extension surface on each respective edge to the opposite end of this edge, rather than having abrupt extensions 5% and 590 as shown. The effect is substantially the same, being that of delaying the passage of the center line of the large end of the bobbin until the center line of the small end of the bobbin reaches the leading edge of the opening 59a, as well as evening of the clearance across the length of the bobbin.

In order to more fully guide the bobbins B during their descent from the opening 55a through the chute 65, the front and rear walls 65a and 65b extend in part to a position closely adjacent the bottom of the U-channel 55d. In order to accommodate this extension of the front and rear walls 65a, 65b of the chute 65, the gate 63 is preferably formed in two split sections 63c, 63d as shown more particularly in broken line open position of the gate in FIGURE 4. This split formation of the gate 63 into two sections thus permits free pivotal movement of the gate without interference with the two upward extensions of the front and rear walls 65a, 65b of the tube 65 while enabling the provision of substantially full guiding of the bobbin into the chute 65 by the upward central extensions of the front and rear walls 65a, 65b. The gate 63 may be suitably selectively pivoted to closed or opened position by any suitable mechanism, such as an electro-mechanical control generally indicated at 67. An actuating element 67 might take the form of a rotary action solenoid or other suitable electro-mechanical or mechanical actuator. It will of course be understood that it is desirable that the control 67 not be actuated to return the gate 63 to closed position during the dropping of a bobbin through the opening, or the partial approach of a bobbin into the opening 59a.

In operation the hopper 11 is provided with a desired supply of bobbins, which are fed through the door 13 by shaker floor 15 onto lateral conveyor 17. The conveyor 17 being of a width corresponding to approximately one or two to four or so bobbin diameters, thus conveys the bobbins longitudinally onto the conveyor 19 in a manner such that they extend substantially transversely on the conveyor 19 and in the feeding trough area formed at the lower end of conveyor 19 in the zone of adjacency of conveyors-19 and 21. The conveyor 21 thus picks up in the pockets 21g succeeding bobbins B, and air jet nozzle 20 reorients onto conveyor 17 standard size bobbins having the base end thereof extending toward the air jet nozzle. The bobbins are then conveyed along the runs 21a and 21b of conveyor 21 and are then guided around the curved end of the conveyor and along the lower run 21c thereof through the medium of guide plates 25b and 25c.

The bobbins are guided into a desired lateral position in advance of the defective bobbin discharge station 61 through the medium of guide cam 69, and short bobbins. fall through the opening 61a at the defective short bobbin discharge station 61 as into a suitable receptacle 62, as shown in FIGURE 6. Standard sized bobbins are sup ported at both ends by the guide plate 550 in the zone of opening 61a and are conveyed therepast to the user discharge station 59.

At the user discharge stations 59 the bobbins may be discharged through openings 59a under the influence of gravity, through the swinging open of any selected one or more of the gates 63 to the downward or opened position, as shown in broken lines in FIGURE 4. Upon the supplying of the desired quantity of bobbins to a given user station 59 the respective gate 63 is again closed by swinging such to the upper closed position as shown in full lines in FIGURE 4, and subsequent bobbins will pass this station to subsequent stations 59 for discharge, if the gates at such stations are open, or the retained bobbins will be returned to the loading zone along run 21d and again be carried to run 21a for subsequent discharge at one of the user stations 59. The bobbins which are supplied to the loading zone at the intersection of conveyors 19 and 21 will fall into such pockets 21g as remain open, the pockets 21g, however, being formed with a depth and width preferably only slightly more than one bobbin diameter, so as to prevent the catching of more than one bobbin at a time in a given pocket 21g. In order to prevent over supply of bobbins to the loading Zone at the intersection of conveyor 19 and conveyor 21 a suitable feedback responsive control may be provided for controlling the shaker floor 15 as a function of the supply of bobbins in the zone between the conveyor 19 and conveyor 21, or the shaker may be manually controlled, if desired, as will readily be apparent to those skilled in the art.

While the invention has been described with respect to only one specific preferred physical embodiment thereof, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and improvements may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Accordingly, it will be understood that the invention is not to be limited by the particular illustrative embodiment disclosed and described herein, but only by the scope of the appended claims.

That which is claimed is:

1. A transfer arrangement for bobbins, quills, or the like, comprising a flexible endless band having pockets formed in its outer surface for receiving and holding bobbins, quills or the like, spaced means supporting said band at spaced apart positions to form at least two runs of said band, one of said runs being below another of said runs, and band-and-bobbin-guiding means disposed between said spaced means and below and adjacent the outer pocketed face of said one run, said band-and-bobbin-guiding means having at least one bobbin-discharge opening formed therein for discharge of bobbins from said pockets on said band, defective-bobbin-removal means in advance flow relation to said bobbin-discharge opening for effecting removal of defective bobbins from said band before such bobbins reach said discharge opening, said defective-bobbin-removal means including a short-bobbin-discharge opening formed in said band-and-bobbin-discharge opening formed in said band-and-bobbin-guiding means, said short-bobbin-discharge opening being shorter than said first mentioned discharge opening in the direction of bobbin lengthwise orientation, said pockets extending with their greater length crosswise of said band to align said bobbins, quills, or the like, with their lengths extending crosswise of said band, and end guide means for aligning the longitudinal ends of said bobbins on said band in advance of movement of said bobbins past said short-bobbin discharge opening to aid in short bobbin detection and discharge at said short-bobbin-discharge opening.

2. A transfer arrangement for bobbins, quills, or the like, comprising a flexible endless band having pockets formed in its outer surface for receiving and holding bobbins, quills, or the like, spaced means supporting said band at spaced apart positions to form at least two runs of said band, one of said runs being below another of said runs, and band-and-bobbin-guiding means disposed between said spaced means and below and adjacent the outer pocketed face of said one run, said band-and-bobbin-guiding means having at least one bobbin-discharge opening formed therein for discharge of bobbins from said pockets on said V band, spacedmeans including atleast two rotatable bandguiding' elements engaging the inner surface of said band,-

and curved external band-and-bobbin-guiding meansdis: posed adjacent said band in the zone of one of said rtata-v ble guide elements, said curved band-and-bobbin-guiding.

means being movable toward and away from the axis of rotation of said one rotatable guide element to compensate for stretch or wear of said band, the axis of said one rotatable guide element being also movable for similar compensation, said first mentioned band-and-bobbin-guiding.

means and said curved band-and-bobbin-guiding means adjoining one another in a substantially unbroken line subdischarge run and said first upwardly inclined receiving run, said discharge runand said return run forming an angle which is less than-1803 as measured externally, and

r a movable endless band guide means engaging and guiding stantially tangential to the curvature of said curved band-f and-bobbin-guiding means at the zone of-juncture for smooth substantially continuous guiding of said band and.

bobbins and quills thereon during passage thereof along 7 said one run and the outwardly convex curved portion of said band extending about said one rotatable guide element.

3. A'transfer arrangement for bobbins, quills, or, the

like, comprising a flexible endless band having pockets formed in its outer surface for receivingand holding btobbins, quills, or the like, spaced means supporting said band at spaced apart positions to form at least two runs of said- 7 band, one of said runs being'below another of said runs and band-and-bobbin-guiding means disposed between said spaced means and below and adjacent the outer pocketed face of said one run, said band-and-bobbin-guiding means having at least one bobbin-discharge opening formed therein for discharge of bobbins from said pockets on said band, and endless idler apron, being driven solely by surface engagement with the outer surface of said band and being retarded so as to aid in 'surface cleaning of'said band by slippage between said band and said apron, said band being guided through an angle which is greater than 180 as measured internally of said band, the outer surface of said band facing downwardly in the zone of said angle and in the runs of said band forming said angle; said apron engaging with and guiding said band along a portion of each of said runs formingsaid angle. 7 r

4. A bobbin aligning and transfer arrangement com'- prising bobbin supply means, a first bobbin conveyor inl bobbin receiving relation to said supply means, a second endless bobbin conveyor in bobbin receiving relation to said first conveyor, said second conveyor having ,transversely extending pocketsformed thereon, means1forjrecharge opening, and second guide'rneans operably'associ ated with said discharge portion to prevent the bobbins that-are not'discharged through said discharge opening moving and reorienting improperly oriented bobbins received' by said second conveyon saidsecond conveyorineluding at least one downwardlyfaci'ng bobbin discharge run, guide means disposed adjacent said second conveyor along said one discharge run and having a plurality of; bobbin-discharge openings formed along and beneath said one run, means for selectively discharging bobbins'through any one of said openings, said second conveyor having a first upwardly inclined run disposed in receiving relation tosaid firstconveyor, and'a further'lengthwise extending upwardly facing transport run between said first run and said downwardly facing discharge run, and a further downwardly inclined return run connecting between said said second conveyor along the zone of intersection of said discharge run and said downwardly inclined return run of said second conveyor; v t V a a 5. A transfer arrangement according to, claim 4 wherein said first mentionedband-tand-bobbin-guiding means and said curved band-aridbobbin-guiding means are joined by a substantially surface smoothtongue and groove adjustment connection for smooth guidance of said band and bobbins carried thereby in any of its adjusted positions.

6'. A tbobbin aligning and transfer arrangement according to claim 4 wherein said movable endless band guide means comprises an endless idler apron engaging flush with both of said one downwardly-facing discharge run and said downwardly inclined return runof said second con-- veyor as well as the intersection angle portion'of said dischargerun and said return run, said idler apron being- ,i driven solely by surface engagement with the outersurface of said second conveyor so'as'to aid in surface clean-. 7 ing of said second conveyor by slippagebetween said sec- 0nd conveyor and said apron.

' prising: a bobbin supply means, an endless conveyor'having a. first run in bobbin receiving relation to-said supply means, bobbin reversing means operably associated'with "7. A bobbin aligning and transfer'arrangernent coms'aid first run to remove and reorient improperly oriented bobbins, said endless conveyor having a second run receiving bobbins'from said firstrun, said second run includi'ng'a downwardly facing bobbin discharge'portiornsaid endless conveyor having transversely extending pocke ts formed ,thereon,'first guide means disposed adjacent said conveyor along said downwardly-facing bobbin discharge portion and having at least one bobbin discharge opening'formed alongtand beneath-said discharge portion,

means for selectively discharging bobbins through said disfrom falling out of said transversely extending pockets and return such bobbins .to saidfirst-run properly oriented whereby said bobbins are not actedupon by said'bobbin reversing means. 7 I r V 7 References Citedin the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. A TRANSFER ARRANGEMENT FOR BOBBINS, QUILLS, OR THE LIKE, COMPRISING A FLEXIBLE ENDLESS BAND HAVING PACKETS FORMED IN ITS OUTER SURFACE FOR RECEIVING AND HOLDING BOBBINS, QUILLS OR THE LIKE, SPACED MEANS SUPPORTING SAID BAND AT SPACED APART POSITIONS TO FORM AT LEAST TWO RUNS OF SAID BAND, ONE OF SAID RUNS BEING BELOW ANOTHER OF SAID RUNS, AND BAND-AND-BOBBIN-GUIDING MEANS DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID SPACED MEANS AND BELOW AND ADJACENT THE OUTER POCKETED FACE OF SAID ONE RUN, SAID BAND-AND-BOBBIN-GUIDING MEANS HAVING AT LEAST ONE BOBBIN-DISCHARGE OPENING FORMED THEREIN FOR DISCHARGE OF BOBBINS FORM SAID POCKETS ON SAID BAND, DEFECTIVE-BOBBIN-REMOVAL MEANS IN ADVANCE FLOW RELATION TO SAID BOBBIN-DISCHARGE OPENING FOR EFFECTING REMOVAL OF DEFECTIVE BOBBINS FROM SAID BAND BEFORE SUCH BOBBINS REACH SAID DISCHARGE OPENING, SAID DEFECTIVE-BOBBIN-REMOVAL MEANS INCLUDING A SHORT-BOBBIN-DISCHARGE OPENING FORMED IN SAID BAND-AND-BOBBIN-DISCHARGE OPENING FORMED IN SAID BAND-AND-BOBBIN-GUIDING MEANS, SAID SHORT-BOBBIN-DISCHARGE OPENING BEING SHORTER THAN SAID FIRST MENTIONED DISCHARGE OPENING IN THE DIRECTION OF BOBBIN LENGTHWISE ORIENTATION, SAID POCKETS EXTENDING WITH THEIR GEATER LENGTH CROSSWISE OF SAID BAND TO ALIGN SAID BOBBINS, QUILLS, OR THE LIKE, WITH THEIR LENGHS EXTENDING CROSSWISE OF SAID BAND, AND END GUIDE MEANS FOR ALIGNING THE LONGITUDINAL ENDS OF SAID BOBBINS ON SAID BAND IN ADVANCE OF MOVEMENT OF SAID BOBBINS PAST SAID SHORT-BOBBIN DISCHARGE OPENING TO AID IN SHORT BOBBIN DETECTION AND DISCHARGE AT SAID SHORT-BOBBIN-DISCHARGE OPENING. 